Improvement in safes



llull n. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPMER. WASHINGTON, D C.

etait/cri states 'intent (bww.

Letters Patient No. 97,829, dated December 14, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN SATES. l l

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent nd making parl: of the same My invention relates to certainimprovements in sat'es or vaults, hereinafter full y set fort-lr In the drawings- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a section of a vault or safe, with' a section of' a vestibule and door embodying the several parts of my invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-section ot' ascction ot" the same, showing the arrangements ofthe several' parts and materials used, and the manner of uniting the same.

Figure 3 represents a longitudinal vertical view ot' the abbet bars g.

A is the body of a sai'c or vault, and is constructed of iron and steel.

B is the vestibule leading to the body of a vault.

C is the door, hunfor by the usual hinges.

'Ihe body of the vault is constructed of plates a., of one-fourth inch boiler-iron, (usually,) and plates c, ot' steel, one-fourth inch, then plates ot' iron a and plates of steel c', then plates` ot' iron a", all of which are inter-riveted together bythe rivets rand r', as shown in iig. 2.

The plates of iron a', a, and a" are bent at an angle to suit the form ofthe safe or vault to bc construct-ed,

. and form continuous solid and unbroken corners, which corners must needs be cut or sundered before a wedge could be applied, and which would eli'ectually insure against the warping of the same when exposed to tire.

In the old manner ot' constructing` sai'es, the iron plates a, a', and d buttcd against their contactingl plates forming` the corners, and were generally the weakest in such corners. lnt by this part oi' my inventionthe safe or vault is not only made stronger, but more secure against the assaults ot burglar-s or` lire.

l) b are bars of iron,.abont one-halt' inch thick and three inches wide, inter-riveted with the body of the safe or vault, and are placed around in the corners of the same, inside, as shown in lig. I, and form, with the plate a", a sniiicient depth of material (threefourt-hs of an inch) to hold any bolt that .might be screwed therein.

These bars b thus placed and secured dispense with the necessity-'of taking apart the several pieces when once secured together. lfor in the old manner of constructing safes and vaults with alternate -platcs of steel and iron, the several pieces were secured together, then drilled for the bolts l:, when the said plates were then taken apart to tap with scrcw-threzul the steel, and to harden theJ same, and finally, secured a second time` which process of construction involved great labor and expense. Ihis'part of my invention saves all such labor and expense, and strengthens the s ate.

ll d are angle-irons placed around on the inside of the sate or vault, and over the bars b b, fig. 1, and shown by dotted lilies intig. 2; one angle-iron against the other in the corners, as has always been done, I form or turn the said angle-irons in a solid corner, d', andin an angle that will be suited tothe form ot' safe or vault being constructed.

This solid corner ll of the said angle-iron is made by turning,v and welding the same, and being thus made ot' a continuous solid piece, the safe or vault will be greattrengthened. 'Ihese solid corner angle-irons are se red to their places over the bars b b bythe screw-bolts r: which screw into the bars l) and plates of.

f is a heavy plate of boiler-lum, one-halt` of an inch or more in thickness, inter-riveted to the inside surface of the plates forming the vestibule B, which vestibule is constructed, as usual, of alternate plates of iron and steel, like the body ot the vault.' 4By the employment ot' the said heavy plate j, the vestibule is not only strengthened at what was always the weakest part, but the labor and expense attending the taking apart and seem-i115,|` together a second time the several plates, and the annealing and hardening the steel, is saved; and also a suiiicient depth of material is found in the said plate f to hold any screw-bolts or rivets, which, in the old mode ot' construction, tended more to weaken the steel than strengthen it.

"Io t'urthcr strengthen the vestibule` B, at its juncture with the body oi' the vault or safe A, I continue the said heavy plate f back and over the angle-iron d", and secure one to the other by screw-bolts z. By this part of my invention any and all strain or force that might be brought on the vestibule, to break the same away from the body ot' the safe or vault, would be more strongly resisted by reason ot' its connection with the body of thc vault at the said angle-iron c through the plate j'.

y g are rabbet bars made of bars of iron about onehalf inch thick and from three to six inches wide, which bars are riveted to' the plate f, on the inside of the vestibule. The said rabbet bars y are formed with solid corners, asshown in tig. 3, and outline the inner surface of all the sides, top, and bott-ormai; the entrances. Ihe solid corners ot' the said rabbet bars are placed at the corners, above and below, 'and the terminations of the limbs of their angles but against the ends ol' their adjacent bars. The said rabbet bars y are not only to receive the door-look bolts, b ut also are to strengthen the vestibule in the jointures of the several sides, top, and bottom.

e c are lock-bolt holes, and are continued from 'y and instead of butting through the rabbet bars g, iig. 1, through the heavy plate f, as shown by dotted lines in fig. 2. By this part otiny invention, any force that might be brought to strain on the door or doorsti'ame, would, by reason ot' the lock-bolts entering both the rabbet bars y and the heavy plate j, be exerted on not only the said plate j, but on the angle-iron d" of the vault, or on the bolts z" holding the sanne, and on the bolts or rivets securing the exterior plates in a line ol direction perpendicular to the said bolts or rivets;

To `the door constructed ot' alternate plates of iron and steel inter-riveted together, l secure, by interriveting, the henry plate h. The said plate is of boiler-iron, and one-halt` ineh or inore in thickness, and is to receive the usual studs, which secure the lock-traine to the door, and, being otl suliieient thickness, does not necessitate the drilling of the iron and steel platesto receive the usual studs of the loe-ktianie, whit-h are screwed in their places and riveted. By this part ot' luy invention the door not only made stronger, but the labor of taking apart and securing together a second time the several plates ofthe door, that the steel inight be properly1 drilled, tapped, and hardened, is dispensed wit-h.

Having described my invention,

-What I elaini, and desire to secure by Letters VPatent, is\- 1. 1n safes or vaults, the exterior plates of which eonsist-'ot' alternate layers of iron and steel, constructed ames and inter-riveted together as described, the bars or strips b I) placel around the corners or joints of the several sides inter-riveted to the body of the safe, and having the plate or plates b secured to the said strips b, as set forth.

2. The llt-ary platef, in Combination with the plates a. c a c,tbr1ning the vestibule, substantially as and for t-he purpose set forth.

3. l'n vaults or safes, strengthening the jointure of the vestibule with the body ot' the'vault by securing the plate f to the angle-iron d", substantially as and lfor the purpose set forth.

4. The look-bolt holes c e, when niade int-o the rabbet bars g and continued through the pla-te f, the line of direction ot" the said bolt-holes being perpendiculail to the' plate f, substantially as anti for thepurpose set forth.

In sai'e or vault-doors, the. exterior plates of which consist of alternate layers of iron and steel constructed and riveted together, the plate h riveted to the back of said door, as set forth.

l. The body A ot' a safe, when provided with the vestibule B and door C, all the parts being constructed and arranged as set fort-l1.

Witnesses V J. A. GnLLtoAN, ALEX. S'nLKmK. 

